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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mark — a trace
  13. shower — rain
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chip — to eat
  16. tube — a container
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — the month
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bound — certain
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mark — a grade

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com